U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Michael Cohen's Lawsuit

By John Kruzel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a bid by Michael Cohen to revive a lawsuit against his former boss, Donald Trump, and other federal officials. Cohen accused them of returning him to prison in 2020 as retaliation for writing a critical book about Trump.

Cohen, who was Trump's attorney, appealed a lower court's decision to dismiss his claim for monetary damages, arguing that his rights under the U.S. Constitution were violated. He asserted that he faced limitations on free speech and experienced illegal seizure and cruel punishment.

Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, stated, “Michael Cohen has exhausted every avenue of his pathetic attempt to drag my client into court. As expected, the Supreme Court has correctly denied Michael Cohen's petition.”

Cohen was sentenced in 2018 for federal felonies, including campaign finance violations, and was briefly imprisoned before being returned in July 2020 for questioning a publication deal regarding his memoir, "Disloyal: A Memoir." He was released 16 days later after a judge found retaliation was involved.

In his 2021 civil lawsuit, Cohen reported suffering from severe headaches, anxiety, and excessive heat while confined at Otisville, New York.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed the suit, noting that it conflicted with Supreme Court precedents but expressed discomfort in denying Cohen's claims. The judge described the situation as an “egregious violation” of constitutional rights by the executive branch.

Despite Cohen's appeal, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal, leading to the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the case.

The Biden administration's lawyers supported denying Cohen's appeal. Cohen played a key role in Manhattan's District Attorney’s criminal case against Trump regarding a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, which Trump has denied.

While Cohen has sued Trump, Trump has responded with his own lawsuit against Cohen, seeking at least $500 million for revelations in Cohen's publications, though Trump later sought to dismiss his suit.

The current Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, includes three justices appointed by Trump during his presidency.

Trump is running against U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 U.S. election.